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He stopped just shy of my personal space, a powerful yet welcome bergamot scent rolling over me, and whispered in an eerie, disturbingly heavy tone, “Death circles you. But it can’t…

it can’t be allowed to come to pass. The world needs your Light.

” His eyes were haunted as he all but choked out.

“Without it… darkness comes for us all.”

What the—

“Back up,” Pops called, and then he was striding back over.

Sylas snapped out of all that intensity and smirked at Pops, raising his hands. “Love it when you get all bossy with me, Ry.”

Pops tossed him a withering look. “Check yourself, Morgrave.” He gestured at the two Guardians.

“Now, listen carefully. You won’t be detained.

These two are going to escort you to the Unity Council wherein you’ll sit with an Academy Induction Advisor and enroll in an academy that they determine will best suit you and your abilities. ”

“A… what? You can’t be serious?”

“This is your fifth offense. Given the nature of it, you’re looking at several years in The Void. Or you can choose this.”

“An attempt to reel me in?”

“To guide you. To provide you purpose and direction. To help you, Sylas.”

He blew out a breath. “Fine. Fine. I’ll fucking… I’ll do it.”

“Good answer. Smart choice.”

I watched as Pops led him to the two Guardians and gave instructions.

As he did, I stared into space, trying to absorb the shocking words that Sylas Morgrave had spoken to me.

Not just words.

A warning.

“Sorry about that,” Pops said, coming back to me. He frowned as he took me in, concern clouding his features. “Are you okay, Ari?”

I considered telling him what the necromancer had conveyed to me.

But that urge slipped away quickly.

I’d just finally been invited up here. I was being included in things that had been previously closed to me.

I couldn’t jeopardize that by telling him what had been said.

Besides, I didn’t know that it was the truth at all.

Not only didn’t I know Sylas, I couldn’t just take something like that at face-value.

There had been a lot of things said about me since before I’d been born.

People thinking they knew what my destiny was, what I was to become.

This could just be one of those incorrect assumptions and predictions.

Until I looked into it, I wasn’t going to put any weight behind it.

“I’m just absorbing everything. All of this is a lot to take in. In the best way, though.”

“You’re really excited to be here. I see it all over you.”

“Not only that. I’m happy that you’ve allowed me to be here finally.”

He smiled sadly and then took my hand. “Not doing it until now was never about distrust. It was never about being afraid of your power, nothing like that.” He let go and shoved a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want history repeating itself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your mom told you about the duty that she was bound by, yes?”

“She did, yeah.”

“That included the Guardian Movement. She never wanted to be a part of it. She never wanted any of that. But she was forced into it. And it impacted her so deeply. It shattered her for a long time, and it cut her off from me, it cut her off from everything. She was in a lot of pain. I didn’t want you to experience the same thing.

I wanted you free to walk your own path.

” He gritted his teeth. “But this Cassius situation… it’s interfered with that.

But it also had me realizing that by cutting you off from the Guardian Movement, I was actually taking a choice away from you. ”

“Pops,” I said, taking his hand this time.

“I understand. Really. The important thing is I’m here now.

And now, thanks to what you’ve shown me today, I see so many options for what I can do, what I can become.

While I’m not ready to become a Guardian yet, or to even train for such a position, you’ve given me a lot of exciting things to think about. ”

He smiled out at me. “I’m glad, Ari.”

“Now, should we continue?”

“Actually, there’s something else I have in mind now we’ve covered so much. An opportunity. A chance for you to use your power positively to do something important and protective, to help others who need what you can provide.”

“Wow. You’re really pulling out all the stops to show me that things have changed.”

“It’s long overdue.” He shifted his weight and told me, “A perpetual protective ward requires forging. Normally, I’d go to Cornelius for this or employ the Methuselah Root to ensure eternal viability, but I wanted to give you the option to see to it.”

I couldn’t believe it.

This was a massive sign of trust from him.

From the supernatural world as a whole, actually.

He went on to explain, “The ward would be to safeguard the Chief Sanctuary Zone, a center that heals and rehabilitates hybrids that have been extracted from Chimera Circle captivity.”

“That sounds incredible. I’d absolutely love to do that.”

“Excellent.” He gestured back down the corridor. “Let’s go.”

“Oh, right now?”

“Right now,” he confirmed.

“You don’t want to have me prepare for a while first?”

“You’re ready now.”

It hit me then. “And you also talked to Grandpa.”

“That may have occurred. What you demonstrated in his class couldn’t have been possible if you didn’t have impressive control over your full power.

It proves that what your mom witnessed at your cottage the other day was more than just a one-off impressive performance.

This is where you’re at now, Ari. You have control of it.

And now you get to express that in a way that will benefit so many. ”

Emotion welled up. Being treated like this, seen this way… I hadn’t realized just how badly I’d wanted and needed it.

Pops noticed and he wrapped an arm around me as he led me down the corridor. “We’ll check in on Nyx when we get back, maybe even watch his presentation. We’ll have enough time, he’s presenting his proposal last today.”

“Perfect,” I said, leaning against him. “Thank you, Pops. For all of this. All of the family for doing this actually.”

“No thanks needed.” He kissed my hair in that sweet fatherly way of his. “It’s your time now.”